Policy 23: Sharp Metal Policy

It is the policy of Simplyfruit Ltd, to ensure that all sharp metal implements, including knives and cutting blades on equipment shall be controlled within the factory.

The following is a summary of how sharp metal controls shall be managed at Simplyfruit Ltd:-

1. There are controls in place for checking equipment daily to ensure it is safe to use and without damage at shift start up’s and close downs.
2. Numbered knives and sharps will be issued out daily from their storage box to each area by a responsible / assigned person – a record of who received the knife will be kept on signing it out and on return whereby it is to be checked for damage / signs of wear and tear.

Any breakages / loss of knives shall be reported immediately to the responsible Supervisor, Production / Factory Manager and the Technical Manager

1. Damaged equipment will be disposed of in a safe / secure manner through the waste contractor. Knives shall be wrapped in tape to ensure the blades are not left uncovered and placed in a bin until disposal takes place.
2. Snap-off blades will not be used.
3. All employees using a knife must wear a chainmail glove. A record is kept is kept as receipt of such.
4. Non –production blades, equipment and tools shall not be left in a position that allows contamination of product. Engineers / Contractors will sign hygiene rules and regulations and will be made aware of the policies and procedures that may affect them.
5. Staples / staplers, paper clips or drawing pins shall not be used within the production environment.
6. Any damaged pallets with protruding metal staples or nails are prohibited from entering the factory. These are checked at the goods inwards stage and on entry to dispatch / debulk areas.
7. Metal detectable pens will only be used within the factory in all areas in place of normal pens. These can be obtained from the Technical Department as required.
8. All finished packed product shall be fully metal detected in accordance with the relevant work instruction before it is dispatched from the factory. This is a requirement of the HACCP system and is a CCP (Critical Control Point).